Elian Gonzalez: Castro ‘started off as a father…became a friend’

Elian Gonzalez was five years old 16 years ago during an international tug of war.

Gonzalez was five years old when he and his mother left Cuba in late 1999 along with others on a boat that eventually sank, killing most of its occupants.

He was at the center of a tense 2000 international custody battle that became a cause célèbre and raised tensions on both sides of the Florida Straits…

The 22-year-old college graduate spoke about the death of the former Cuban leader on Saturday, a day after the 90-year-old passed away.

‘He started as that father until he became a friend. And like my father, I wanted to show him everything I achieved so that he could be proud of me,’ Gonzalez, told Cuban state media, ABC News reported.